Bar Code

So, you want to know more about these barcodes and why you keep seeing them more and more frequently.

Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Bradley, the owner of FremontTech – a Web Design / Development and Computer Repair Company here in Fremont, Nebraska.

QR Code

QR Codes are becoming quite popular here in the U.S., however, they have been popular for years across seas. You only need two things to make use of these simple barcodes. A Smart-phone with a camera, and the barcode software. A Smart-phone will set you back a few bucks, but chances are, you probably already have one.

Once you have a Smart-phone in hand, simply go to your phones application market. There are several applications out there for scanning barcodes, and I have tried them all. But by far, the best software for scanning barcodes is actually FREE! Its developed by ZXing Team. Search your app market for Barcode Scanner or ZXing Team. Install the barcode software just like any other application or game. Once is complete, look through your list of applicaitons for “Barcode Scanner” or an icon that looks like
Tap the icon and it will open up your camera and have a red line across your screen. This red is the pretend laser that a traditional barcode scanner has. Just aim your camera at a barcode and hold steady for a second. The camera will auto focus (if avilable) and capture the barcode. It will prompt you for interaction.

What you see to the left is called a “QR Code”. A lot of information can be packed into a QR Code. For example, if you scan the QR Code on the left, it will ask you if you would like to open http://www.fremonter.com in your phones browser. Other uses for QR Codes include adding a contact to the phones address book, sending emails, finding product information, and much much more.

Now that you have a barcode scanner installed, you can scan just about any barcode! Go ahead, the barcode on a can of food, on the package of candy, or even a USP shipping label. There are many great applications that complement ZXing Teams Barcode Scanner – they can give you nutritional information, product reviews, and are a must of price comparison! If you are shopping at ‘Store A’, you can scan a product barcode and see if ‘Store B’ has the same product and what their price is. Do you wonder how well a product actually works? Well, scan the barcode and find out what other people from around the world think of that product!

I have even seen QR Codes in magazines, billboards, and tv commercials, and craigslist. Hy-Vee even has QR Codes in their weekly ads for recipes! I believe as times rolls on, we will be seeing these codes where we never thought possible.